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Lawsuit threat in Ketraco cancellation of advert for CEO post
A Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Suswa Substation in Narok County.
A protest letter threatening legal suit may have triggered the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company’s (Ketraco) cancellation of an advertisement for the position of chief executive officer (CEO), new details show.
Ketraco had advertised for the position but recalled the ad on Thursday without offering any explanation.
“Ketraco wishes to inform the public that the advertisement for the position of managing director (MD)/CEO has been cancelled. Further updates will be communicated through the company’s official channels,” the company said.
Ketraco has been without a substantive CEO since Mr John Mativo was fired from the position in September last year, having served for about two-and-a-half years.
Reasons for his removal have remained undisclosed, but Mr Kipkemoi Kibias has been holding the position in an acting capacity since.
In the cancelled advert, Ketraco’s board had listed a current report from an approved credit reference bureau (CRB) among mandatory requirements for the CEO applicants, a requirement that appears to have attracted protest.
“Successful candidate will be expected to present the current report from an approved CRB,” the advert stated, alongside other documents including academic certificates, Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) clearance.
New details now show that a letter from a Nairobi-based law firm raising concerns that the company altered legally-set minimum requirements for CEOs of State firms in the advert, could have led to the cancellation.
In the letter dated April 20, 2026, K.N Ndiang’ui & Co Advocates accused Ketraco board members of illegally altering statutory requirements in the advertisement for CEO position.
“We have reviewed the necessary statutes and stress that the board lacks the legal mandate to alter or dilute the statutory minimum requirements governing the appointment of a CEO of a State corporation, as expressly provided under Section 22 of the Government-Owned Enterprises Act and the Mwongozo Code of Governance for state corporations. Any deviation therefrom is unlawful, null and void,” the letter by Mr Kennedy Ndiang’ui stated.
The letter asked the Ketraco board to take “immediate and urgent” remedial action to align the advertisement with the law, giving it a deadline of April 27, 2026.
“Failure to comply will leave us with no option but to institute appropriate legal proceedings without further reference to you,” the law firm stated.
Its argument was based on legal requirements under a law passed in November last year, and the Mwongozo Code of Governance for State corporations.
The Government-Owned Enterprises Act, 2025 requires applicants for CEO positions to have a degree, 10 years work experience and meet the requirements of chapter six of Constitution, and sets no other requirement.
“A person shall qualify for appointment as a CEO, if such person holds a degree in the relevant field from a university recognised in Kenya, has at least 10 years work experience in a relevant field, has served in a position of senior management for a period of at least five years and meets the requirements of Chapter Six of Constitution,” the law says.
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